Crap Patrol 2

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Interests:Computer Games and classic console gaming(N64 and before). Also like NFL(despite concussion issue), Swimming and Tennis(without the grunting). Politically, I'm rather Libertarian in nature so you can guess how I feel about upcoming elections.

Crap Patrol 2 is a rather popular Arcade game. The game consists of 1-4 players with the game scaling depending on how many players are in the game(hence you can play it solo) with it also having 5 Difficulty levels(which you can set upon creating the game). The five Difficulty levels are Normal, Hard, Insane, Mental and Inferno. The game's objective is simple: You and your team, along with an NPC Ally are tasked with clearing the map of the Zerg/Hybrid infestation. The faster you do it the better as the game has an online Leaderboard with the fastest completion times: CP2 HOF

Normal is best for first timers as its the easiest difficulty there is and you have unlimited lives(so if you die, its no big deal). Hard is designated as the baseline or default difficulty. Insane is the next tier up and some veterans regard it as the best due to its unique parameter: 1 life. Namely if you die, its game over. Insane, as you might assume, is harder with enemies and counter-attacks packing a punch. Most veterans play Mental because its the game mode for speed runs. Namely, the game gets harder the longer you play so dawdling actually hurts you and dying REALLY hurts you as bosses spawn for each team death. Die too many times and super bosses spawn that essentially end the game for you. To make matters worse, Brood Lords, Broodlings, Lairs, Hives and most bosses are CLOAKED(hence hero classes that lack detection have to take care).

The final difficulty is Inferno and this was recently added not that long ago. To describe it, its basically a mesh of Insane with Mental difficulty but without the Cloaked structures and bosses. However, Inferno turns things up a notch by not only significantly increasing hitpoints of structures and bosses but also by adding more bosses to fight, tougher counter-attacks and adds a special flavor to two bosses that aren't present in lower difficulties. Furthermore, taking it slow is the name of the game because if you push hard too fast, it can come back to bite you(yet despite this, the best 4-player time is roughly 1 hour and 23 minutes(that is really, really good, if not unbeatable).

Now if you're new to Crap Patrol, this is worthwhile information: Crap Patrol 2 Wiki. While the information is incomplete, you can get an idea of what to expect in-game if you do a little bit of hard reading(but DH, I hate reading. Can't you cut to the chase? Don't worry I'll keep explaining). When you first start playing Crap Patrol 2, you start at rank or level 0. Your rank determines what heroes/classes are available to you so playing games earns you experience from which you level or rank up. As you rank up, not only do you unlock additional classes to choose from but also in-game bonuses that you will have from the next game going forward(such as increased starting life, energy and other bonuses). The more you play, the higher your rank will go and is exclusive to that computer so if you get a new computer or play from a different one, you will not benefit from past games.

The reason I recommend that you start on Normal is because when you are below rank 10, the game does things for you when it comes to choosing Perks and Masteries. Perks are basically unique bonuses applied to your hero and these are available to all classes(see Perks here). An example I can give you is Air Support or a personal Battlecruiser follows you on the battlefield giving you "Air Support". There are 9 Perks in total but only 8 are options at this time(9th is still under development) and you can only pick 3 Perks for your hero each and every game you play( and you can have whatever combination you want but if your below rank 10 its done for you).

Masteries are basically improvements to your hero that increase the efficiency at which they attack, use abilities or absorb damage. Some Masteries are global(namely available to all classes) while others are exclusive to that class. An example of a Global Mastery is Lightweight Weapons Research. The purpose of this mastery varies from class to class but more often than not deals with reducing cooldowns of abilities(hence if you rely on abilities or use abilities often, this is an extremely valuable Mastery). When below rank 10, the game chooses your Masteries for you but if you want an idea of what they are, here's a list: Masteries. When you start a game, you have 1 Mastery Point from which to choose a Mastery. Every 10 levels in a game, you earn another Mastery Point with special circumstances yielding bonus Mastery Points(killing a boss on a particular difficulty(rank perk)), 2000 kills streak(killing 2000 enemies without dying) or collecting all Protoss Artifacts(which are spread across the map and are risky to collect because they may spawn units that could kill you)).

In addition to Perks and Masteries, players also choose "Talents". Talents are as simple as increasing your life, granting shields, learning one of your abilities and/or improving said abilities further. Depending upon the game difficulty and perks(Mercenary Perk gives free Talent Point) determines how many Talent points you start with. Every level your hero earns in game earns a Talent Point so for you newbs, its best to get Talents that increase your life, grant/increase shields, armor(both shield and regular old armor) and movement speed(notably mudstompers).

Now in the game there are 9 Heroes but only 8 to choose from(one is currently still under development). The 8 heroes are Tychus(Assault class that all newbs start with), Swann(A Support class who builds Turrets to siege and defend areas), Nova(Sniper class but also excellent at infiltration with her Shadow Walker Mastery), Tassadar(All-Purpose class: Can be a Tank, Support or outright DPS), Predator(Tank class), Fury(DPS class) and Pyro(latest and greatest class and a hybrid between Predator and Tychus in the form of an Offensive Tank(although not as Tanky as Predator in my opinion)).

If you're interested in trying this game out, I am more than willing to play Normal and/or Hard games with you(I honestly don't care). I typically play Nova as I prefer to be far from the action and her Snipe ability is unquestionably lethal and valuable to a team. Any questions, feel free to ask me here or in-game if I am online.

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Interests:Computer Games and classic console gaming(N64 and before). Also like NFL(despite concussion issue), Swimming and Tennis(without the grunting). Politically, I'm rather Libertarian in nature so you can guess how I feel about upcoming elections.

Following are some general tips for new and wily veterans on how to play Crap Patrol 2.

1) Listen to veterans. They know what's coming so best to follow their instructions.

2) Fighting things head on(particularly spine crawlers early on) without NPC support is extremely unwise unless you know what you're doing. This often leads to you finding yourself cut off and/or dead.

3) Zerg Drop Pods frequently drop from the sky and contain either zerglings, roaches/hydras(vile(purple) roaches in particular are particularly nasty due to their slow) or the dreaded Spine crawler drop. These generally occur at specific times/intervals and/or triggered by in-game events. To avoid taking considerable damage from drops, it is best to stick by NPC Planetary Fortresses(aka Big Guns) as they will draw the fire from you(unless you're Predator, but then again you're a Tank to begin with).

4) Ultralisks(particularly Toxic, Primal and Torrasque strains), Banelings and especially Bosses HURT. DO NOT FIGHT THEM HEAD ON. Even if you're the tank, its best to run around kiting them rather than engaging them.

5) Artifacts can spawn Hybrid Dominators. Be sure to clear the area considerably before picking them up. Otherwise you risk being levitated into the air and killed by spore colonies(aka Levitate deaths). People complain about them on the in-game reviews but its mostly people being careless or outright stupid when acquiring Artifacts, popping Hives or dealing with the final area(where Hybrid are hiding on Spore Colony infested ledges).

6) Beware Lurkers, Impalers and cloaked units/structures. If you don't have detection, be sure to be near an ally who does or go into battle with Air Support(which has detection) and work your way towards acquiring it by Talent or Mastery.

Some general rule of thumb advice for each class.

Tychus: Tychus lives and dies from his Berserk Ability where he gains considerable movement and attack speed. He doesn't have the range that Fury or Nova has so take care when dealing with Spine Crawlers(especially early on) and use Grenades just after Lairs and Hives pop to damage or kill the units that spawn(as they are in a weakened state for a short period).

Swann: Swann is a support class. As such he uses his turret abilities often to siege the enemy from afar and is one of the few classes that can pick off certain bosses without even getting hurt. Downside to him is that his attacks are melee range and his turrets can block the NPC from building(so be shrewd on where you place them!).

Tassadar: Tassy is a JOAT class or Jack of all Trades. He fills several roles, although I find he fills the support role the best through his unique Nexus Exiles Talent(where Protoss units warp into the battlefield) and his Empower ability(which is a component of the Bug Zapper Perk). His range, like Tychus can make him vulnerable to Spines(especially early) but can learn to Blink and can wall off Ultralisks with his Force Field Ability(Note: Force Field does not stop Hive Guardians or other major bosses). He's also the only class that can see upcoming "events" before they happen(Pierce the Veil Mastery).

Nova: Nova is the game's Sniper class. While she can fight up close and personal with her Strafe ability, she's also one of the squishiest classes in the game until you unlock her Shadow Walker Mastery(wherein she gets permanent Cloak and detection). Her unique asset to any team is her Snipe ability. With Lightweight Weapons(reduce cooldown), Big Game Hunter(bonus to Massive targets with Snipe), Weapons Research(additional Snipe Damage), Marksman(additional Snipe Damage and Range) and Ghost Academy Masteries(plus a few Snipe Talents) a Nova can snipe any boss to just about nothing in short order(energy permitting of course). What makes Snipe even better is that it can be set to autocast(enabling her to pick off and kill most targets in one or two shots that are within range(invaluable when pushing into enemy territory)).

Predator: AKA Kitty, Predator is the Tank class but it comes with a bullseye on your back as not even Planetary Fortresses will save you once an enemy has you within their sights. The only way to break an enemy's hold on you is to Blink or get near an Odin. It is well advised to get Adaptive Armor and Block Masteries at the earliest opportunity(as this increases your survival rate significantly).

Anvil: Anvil is the Siege Tank and the one class that is immune to Hybrid levitation(so if anyone should pick up Protoss Artifacts, it should be an Anvil). Furthermore, Anvil is the only class that can sweep/comsat an area(for whatever reason but more often than not for Nuking). This makes him superb at Nuking forward locations and taking out certain structures that spawn units(like Ultralisk Dens). Anvil is also superb at clearing out ledges and dishing out tons of damage from Siege Mode. The downside is that while in Siege Mode, he's extremely vulnerable to attack(particularly from Drop Pods).

Fury: Fury is a Viking hero who spawns "Iron Legion Vikings" to aid you in battle. As such, he can be viewed as a support class but really he's DPS. His Widow Mines and BFG ability are superb at damaging, if not outright killing scores of enemies at once. In any CP2 game, Fury players should be near the top in damage(surpassed only by Anvil in most cases).

Pyro: Pyro is the latest class and I don't know too much about him but what I do know is that his attacks burn nearby enemies and structures, significantly reducing their armor and making them far easier to kill. While he can absorb punishment, he can't absorb it in the manner that Predator can so don't get too cocky. However, Predator and Pyro together make an excellent and destructive team.

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Interests:Computer Games and classic console gaming(N64 and before). Also like NFL(despite concussion issue), Swimming and Tennis(without the grunting). Politically, I'm rather Libertarian in nature so you can guess how I feel about upcoming elections.

jesus, i forgot that you're the only person that could ever easily rival terra's wall of text. When my wrist gets better and i have the time i'd like to get this a try.

Rival? Rival! You dare go over my Helmet? Joking aside, I am no where near what Terra can do in terms of wall of text but to achieve such feats requires a solid hour or more typing, revising and proofreading(and even then I don't catch everything because my grammar still sucks to this day).

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Interests:Computer Games and classic console gaming(N64 and before). Also like NFL(despite concussion issue), Swimming and Tennis(without the grunting). Politically, I'm rather Libertarian in nature so you can guess how I feel about upcoming elections.

Above link is a decently written guide for first timers to Mental mode. Mental mode, as I mentioned in my OP is the difficulty for speed runs and is generally the difficulty where you will find veterans, hence being as "professional" as you can be is vital. You die even once and some veterans just opt to leave the game altogether rather than trying to clean up the mess you created by dying.

The only negative thing I can say about the above guide is that its outdated. Many updates have occurred in the year since I posted on this topic, including a new user interface(that I'm still getting used to), the final class being released(Aquila) and a new difficulty mode in Old School to challenge CP2 Veterans. If you're new to CP2 or are planning to try it out for the first time after reading this, then the UI change won't be as startling as it was to veterans(who got used to certain things). So I'll take a moment to explain the new class, as well as the new Difficulty mode.

Aquila: Protoss Commander

The new hero class is Aquila, a Protoss Adept Commander. As a Protoss class, she benefits from Nexus Exiles just like Tassadar does, hence you can supplement Terran NPC with Protoss units of your own. Aquila has Blink via a Mastery(just like Tassadar) and an Armor Mastery to boost your defenses but that is where the similarities end. While Tassadar can Empower Allies, use Force Fields to wall off baddies and nuke them with Psionic Storm, Aquila can summon Zealots to attack and occupy opposing forces while you slip away. She also can put a Telepathic bond on an Allied hero, thereby boosting Energy Regeneration and other stats for both(very useful if given to a Nova). Furthermore, Aquila can drastically weaken an enemy target through her Void ability. Think of it like a Diablo 2 Holy Freeze only that its slow is far more noticeable, doesn't damage the enemy and even adds armor to the inflicted target(although a Nova with Weakspot Mastery ignores that side-effect).

Aquila also has a unique mastery in that she summons a Mothership to protect the NPC base. Early on it means you get a Mothership(that is indestructible but is uncontrollable like the Air Support Battlecruisers) that can help clear out the enemy fortifications, structures and units. Aquila also has another unique mastery in Altruism. What makes Altruism so powerful is that it grants a free mastery point to all other party members and in games with 2 or 3 players, it grants additional Talent Points as well(including to Aquila. In a solo game, it grants 4 Talent Points to Aquila). When playing Aquila, it is advised that you get Altruism as early as possible(say from the get-go or at level 10). As for Perks, it is advised you get Leadership(for Nexus Exiles and your Mothership if you summon it), Air Support(benefits from Leadership and gives additional fire support) and either Compartmentalization(to reduce ability cooldowns with LW Mastery) or Toxic Waste(to grant 15 Shield Armor and higher Life Regeneration before you get Irradiate Aura).

Old School Difficulty

Old School is a new Difficulty mode that was released not that long ago. Old School is by far the hardest Difficulty there is as it not only adds more Bosses(at least 2 more to be exact) but alters the Brutalisk encounter(way harder), adds in our lovable Zerg Ravagers(who will kill you in no time flat if you're not paying attention) and buffs Mutalisks considerably(early on they swarm and can kill you in no time flat if you're not paying attention). That's in addition to early and constant Baneling/Swarm Ling attacks, more frequent Abberation drops(which are stronger than the ones you find in the field and are in addition to the annoying Vile Roach drops), upgrading Toxic Ultralisk push to Torrasque Ultralisk and basically makes Spine Crawler drops instant death if you're not by a PF or a Predator Tank(and the Brutalisk encounter spawns some nasty ones too). Oh and after killing the first Spine Crawler... better stay by the initial Planetary Fortress or you will likely die.

As for tackling Old School, this is a Team that could handle it well. For starters, you must have a Nova who's calm, cool and doesn't die. Since I main Nova, I would recommend it be me if we ever play ;). Whomever plays Nova must be one willing to focus on getting her Snipe ability as effective and efficient as possible, hence I'd open with AllRounder Mastery(boosts Energy Reserve while granting 2 free Talents and 2 Talents every 45 minutes. You will need Snipe and Energy Talents ASAP), Marksman Mastery(at level 10) and Energy Mastery(at level 20), along with Ghost Academy(level 30). Hopefully by the time you're at level 10 you've had gotten Snipe CD(Stay on Target Talent) and Snipe Range(Ballistic Scope Talent) since Guardians have a powerful attack and have an Attack range of 23. With just 1 Ballistic Scope Upgrade to go along with Marksman Mastery, you have a Snipe Range of 26. Ultimately your Snipe Range will increase to 30 so that is plenty of distance to snipe Guardians and other hardened targets.

With regards to Perks, get Compartmentalization for LW Mastery(to reduce Snipe Cooldown), Absorption(to boost Energy reserves and regeneration further(yes you will need both Absorption and Energy Mastery since Snipe doesn't benefit from Killer Instinct, only your base attack and Strafe(which increases the attack speed of your base attack) do) and Mercenary(to boost field of vision and grants extra starting talents. Also feeds the Mineral cost of LW Mastery from the start and all the Minerals you will earn from Lairs and Hives can be put towards Nukes which cost a ton on Old School). To get the needed score for her cloak, simply snipe away and getting massacres left and right(pray that you get the Energy Massacre Talents early since that will pay huge dividends).

Next up would be Predator. A Predator with both defensive Masteries and Iron Man can handle just about anything thrown his way. He just would need support from his teammates as while his tanking ability is unmatched, his DPS is sorely lacking. Bug Zapper, Air Support and Toxic Waste Perks are strongly advised. Name of the game is to kite enemies since Predator's Aggro(aka enemy priority) is only outclassed by Odins or dropped Turrets and Towers(aka Flaming Bettys). Hence you simply run around in circles allowing your Allies and your own abilities to weaken and kill them. Old School will challenge you but a pro Predator can handle even this challenge. Open with Iron Man, then get Adaptive Armor and Block so as to have your Tank Masteries in place. With an Aquila on your team, you should achieve this by level 10 provided they get Altruism at start or level 10 as well. Then get Sun God to boost your damage and LW to reduce your ability cooldowns

Third class I would pick in a team of four would be Aquila. Her Mothership can give you a big hand in clearing out the initial base while her bond ability can help your Nova teammate immensely. Plus her Void ability can help the Predator out in a sticky situation and her Altruism Mastery grants a free point to all other team members(hence she's the ideal class in a full game). Unfortunately you have to be rank 30 for you to use her so it might be some time before you get to try her out. Go with the Perks I mentioned above when you do and pretty much stand back and let your Mothership, Battlecruiser and Nexus Exiles do the damage for you.

Final class I would pick is a toss up. Arguably you can make a case for any of the classes but if I had to pick one, it would be a Pyro. Pyro is not as tanky as a Predator can be but unlike Predator, a really good Pyro can unleash a ton of damage. I've never played Pyro even though he's been out awhile but from those that I've seen in public games that I've played, he can be a difference maker. If not Pyro, I'd probably go with Fury. The first 3 classes I've picked so far are Tank, Long Range DPS and Support. Fury is basically your typical DPS class with BFG doing the bulk of it. As I mentioned in my OP, Leadership, Air Support and either Bug Zapper(for more DPS) or Toxic Waste(Defense boost until Irradiate) for perks and focus on trying to stay alive while dealing decent damage.

As for a Battle plan on Old School, its not rocket science. Firstly you must have a plan for dealing with Guardians, else they'll end the game before you know it(hence why your Nova has to get her Snipe ability going). You also must not push too hard too fast(hence hold off on Nexus Exiles if you're Aquila. Its ok to get Mothership though since it patrols around the initial base. It doesn't push with the NPC). That way you can level up to a point where you have a few Masteries and Talents under your belt to deal with the upcoming Brutalisk encounter. Once you clear the initial base(Lair in SE corner of your starting platform has a nice surprise so be ready for it), have your Predator and Aquila head up the ramp to the elevated ledge and then blink down and head East. By doing this, you leave the Spines and Hatchery just outside the front door for the NPC, thereby delaying the Brutalisk encounter a little bit longer(although if you have a Swann, he can build turrets and block the NPC from getting there(not advised as the number of NPC units can cause major lag... not to mention the fact that Swann's Turrets cause lag as well)).

While there start clearing structures and trigger not only a spine drop(which with a Pred won't be so difficult), but also an Ultralisk push(which you can simply retreat to the safety of the base). There is also a Roach push but with a Predator, its nothing it can't handle. Once you clear that 2nd area, there is a new boss exclusively for Old School. Its basically a Brain Bug but without the eggs or spores that the actual Brain Bug does during its encounter. Snipe it with Nova as its Poison will kill anyone but a Predator. Once its cleared, go back and go trigger the Brutalisk encounter. If you manage to survive that, the rest of the game is a piece of cake. Simply have Predator Tank while Nova and other classes chip away at bosses and clear enemies/structures as fast as you can. When approaching the final area, the final boss encounter is nothing like lower difficulties. Instead of staying in its base, the Hybrid General actually attacks, so you must have a Predator Tank ready to go(he can tank Hybrid General at this point) but the amount of spines and other drops make doing so hazardous(Nova better have cloak by then). Overcome the General and clear the rest of the map to win.

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Interests:Computer Games and classic console gaming(N64 and before). Also like NFL(despite concussion issue), Swimming and Tennis(without the grunting). Politically, I'm rather Libertarian in nature so you can guess how I feel about upcoming elections.

Well its been a long time since I've posted here. Game has undergone considerable changes since then too, including a new difficulty. Perks were re-designed as well with Weaponsmith, Iron Tenacity being the two that instantly come to mind in that they grant a free Mastery for free to all classes. Weaponsmith grants Weapon Mastery from the get-go(fully researched, hence all classes get a damage and range boost) while Iron Tenacity gives you the Iron Man Mastery at the cost of a starting Talent point(still have to wait 30 or so minutes to obtain the full life, energy and move speed benefits). This is in addition to the new Difficulty of Hellwalker. Hellwalker basically takes OldSchool and goes into a steroid rage. More baddies and obstacles and odds are you will die numerous times. To give you the slightest chance at success, all players get to pick 4 perks as opposed to the usual 3. The new game mode also puts incredible stress on your computer if its not built within the last 2-3 years. Namely if your CPU is a piece of shit(aka pre I7-6k series, you might want to avoid this one).

Still recommend trying the game out though and will play it with anyone, regardless of difficulty or in-game rank.